Abraham Lincoln

Presidency

When did the Civil War begin?

The Civil War began just more than a month after Lincoln’s inaugural address in March 1861. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Lincoln called for an army to reclaim federal property and tensions escalated, with additional states seceding. The Civil War lasted until April 9, 1865, when leading Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S. Grant. Less than a week later, President Lincoln was assassinated.